Marking one of the most significant milestones for the operating system in years, AMD announced that it has retooled two of its A-series processors to run Chrome OS. This will give Intel some real competition in the low-price Chromebook market for the first time -- and offer consumers more choices, and perhaps lower prices, for Chromebooks in 2019.

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As a whole, the Chromebook category has made serious strides over the past two years. While once a lackluster option for classrooms and the extremely budget-sensitive, improving hardware and access to Android apps via the Google Play store have now made Chromebooks a valid option for work and entertainment. There remain exceptions, of course: If you're into serious gaming, video editing or other hardware-intensive tasks, you'll still need a machine running Microsoft Windows or Apple's MacOS.

You can now get AMD-powered Chromebooks

AMD President and CEO Lisa Su.

James Martin/CNET

Though it wasn't the main focus of AMD's first ever keynote at CES, the company's President and CEO Lisa Su did spend some time discussing the company's partnerships with Acer and HP for the first crop of AMD-powered Chromebooks. To start, two retooled A series processors will match up against Intel's competing Celeron and Pentium models.

With AMD chip on board, the HP Chromebook 14 starts at $269

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One of the world's first AMD-powered Chromebooks, the HP Chromebook 14 comes equipped with an A4 or A6 CPU with integrated Radeon R4 or R5 graphics. Otherwise, the specs are pretty pedestrian -- 14-inch display, 4GB of memory and 32GB of storage (plus a built-in microSD card slot). But, whew, that starting price of $269 shows how AMD will be turning up the heat on Intel in 2019.

Acer's $280 Chromebook 315 also runs on an AMD chip

Acer

The Chromebook 315 is based closely on what used to be the least expensive 15.6-incher in Acer's Chromebook lineup, the Chromebook 15. That particular model features an Intel Pentium processor and starts at $400. The Chromebook 315, equipped with a seventh-gen AMD A-series processor and Radeon graphics, shaves $120 off of that -- for a starting price of $280. (Converted, about £220 or AU$395.) It's coming in February.

Asus overhauls its best-selling convertible Chromebook

Big shoes to fill: the Chromebook Flip C434.

Sarah Tew/CNET

On the higher-end of the market, the Flip C434, starting at $569, replaces Asus's Chromebook C302 -- a breakout hit that's currently the top-ranked bestseller in Amazon's two-in-one category. With a new brushed aluminum design, the Flip now has a 14-inch FHD display, twice as much RAM and storage as its predecessor -- and more powerful Intel processor options.